01-10-2010, 07:45 AM
Part of the Uniform Building Code - the one in use across most of the nation, requires all lumber used in construction to have been graded and stamped by an approved agency. It also requires all lumber to have passed all sorts of testing. Each species of tree is supposed to have had all these tests done on it so the modulus of elasticity is known, the breaking strength is known, etc. For many of these tropical hardwoods, the testing has not been done for the species of wood so it can't be approved for use in building a house.
It isn't about the wood or the supplier of wood, it is about the lack of paperwork regarding the strength and other characteristics of that specific species of lumber. Depending on where the wood is to be used, a certain size, grade and species of wood is specified. If the numbers aren't available for the species of wood then it can't be specified.
The person who is trying to sell you whatever wood claims the wood has been tested, so all he has to do is reference the tests to the approving agency and go through the pile of paperwork to get the proper approvals in place.
At least, this is my interpretation from the small amount of information given.
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Kurt Wilson
It isn't about the wood or the supplier of wood, it is about the lack of paperwork regarding the strength and other characteristics of that specific species of lumber. Depending on where the wood is to be used, a certain size, grade and species of wood is specified. If the numbers aren't available for the species of wood then it can't be specified.
The person who is trying to sell you whatever wood claims the wood has been tested, so all he has to do is reference the tests to the approving agency and go through the pile of paperwork to get the proper approvals in place.
At least, this is my interpretation from the small amount of information given.
Kurt Wilson
Kurt Wilson